With all that in mind, pundits, talking heads, NBA media members and internet scribes from across the country have been scrambling to jump on the Blazers bandwagon and discuss what has led to this team's recent tear.

Here's what those folks around the league are saying about Lillard and the Trail Blazers:

The Ringer's Haley O'Shaughnessy has discovered Lillard Time - even though she calls it "Dame Time" in the article's headline - and heaps praise upon Lillard for being one of the NBA's elite fourth-quarter scorers. While Lillard has always been an adept late-game gunner, O'Shaughnessy notes that this year Dame is doing this when it matters most and putting his team in a position to be a contender when the playoffs arrive.

Since the All-Star break, [Lillard] has scored the most fourth-quarter points of anyone--guard or otherwise--in the league. After the break last season, Lillard finished fourth among guards in fourth-quarter scoring; after the break the season before that, he was second; and in 2014-15, he ended up with the most total fourth-quarter points throughout the entire season.

This is the first time his late-game dexterity has mattered this much. Portland is currently the best Western Conference team outside of the big two at the top. A Blazers season that was supposed to be lost to mediocrity--like a recurring dream that you only think about as it's happening--suddenly has expectations beyond the first round of the playoffs. Dame Time just matters more when Portland is a real competitor in the West.

Rachel Nichols devoted an entire segment to the Trail Blazers on The Jump Tuesday, saying the team has shown "resilience" while rattling off wins on their current streak following an up-and-down start to the season. Nichols also mentions that the Blazers are showing "character" and professionalism by bouncing back after rumors of discord among the team plagued them at midseason following Lillard's private meeting with owner Paul Allen to discuss the direction of the franchise.

Nichols wasn't the only ESPN personality talking about the Blazers Tuesday. Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman went back and forth about Damian Lillard and his incredible string of performances of late. Kellerman asks Smith to tell him which point guard he would rank above the other: Is Damian Lillard or Kyrie Irving the better guard? Smith takes Kyrie, but notes that it's nearly too close to call. Kellerman makes the argument that Lillard isn't even the top 5 of NBA point guards:

With their win in Los Angeles on Monday, the Blazers have extended their win streak over the Lakers to 15 games which has put smiles on faces of Blazers fans all over Rip City. But where does that win streak rank among the Blazers best win streaks? Our own Sean Meagher takes a look.

Portland vaulted up the latest NBA power rankings on nearly every major news outlet who released them on Monday. Here's what they had to say.

"A six-game winning streak has put the Blazers in good position to begin the playoffs at home, where they've won 13 of their last 14 games, with seven of the 13 wins coming against teams that currently have winning records. They lead the league defensively since the All-Star break, having held each of their five opponents under a point per possession. The defense (which has risen back to seventh in the league after falling to 11th prior to the break) has been at its best with Jusuf Nurkic on the floor. He ranks as one of the league's best high volume rim protectors and the Blazers have allowed just 20 free throw attempts per 100 shots from the field (an opponent free throw rate which would lead the league) with him on the floor."

"Meanwhile, the Blazers have won six in a row and entered Week 21 with the fifth-best record in the league. This is a surprising development for a team that struggled for much of the early season. And shockingly, Portland's success stems more from its No. 7 defense then its No. 16 offense. That's right, the Blazers are scoring on par with the Hornets and Celtics but defending only 0.8 points per possession worse than the Warriors. Portland's net rating would indicate the team has room to improve, but the Blazers are peaking at the right time."

"Look out for the Trail Blazers, who have won their past six games. The biggest reason? Their defense: Portland has allowed 98.1 points per 100 possessions during the winning streak, best in the NBA over that span. -- Matt Williams"